Big Al Whittle says: "Folk' has flown the coop and it used by all and sundry - not just academics - but also record companies and funeral directors.

That bit about funeral directors made me cringe, because I have to deal with what people want for funerals occasionally, and I have to insist that it be "appropriate for liturgy." (i.e., not a recording of Sinatra's "My Way"). But anyhow, I do think it is worthwhile to give definitions of "folk" and other things, but then I think we need to specify the parameters for which a particular definition is valid. For the sake of discussion or research or study, we have to ensure that words mean the same thing to everyone (like "purist," for example).

I think we have to accept the fact that, like other words, "folk" means various things in various situations. I don't particularly care what "folk" means in record bins and Spotify playlists, but I do care what the word means in serious discussions of traditional music. And for that matter, I'm much more comfortable with the word "traditional."

-Joe-